Autumn leaves flutter as October Fledglings Fly!

[standclear]

Welcome to the October 2015 Fledgling Flying thread!

Park your broomsticks and cauldrons here!! Or is that just me ?

This is where, from the 1st of the month, we attempt to declutter and follow the 30-step wisdom of Flylady (minus cutesy language and a surfeit of e-mails) with lots of chat and support and mutual motivation (and of course) along the way.

More info available here and here and here.

As usual we will be following a three-pronged approach - and don't worry - we are all at different stages. (Some of us are still stuck at the decluttering stage after quite a few years ):

• repeat or start baby steps (again!)

• repeat baby steps + do 15 mins a day decluttering in the current zone

or

• reinforce babysteps and do daily missions if you have finished decluttering.

And those of you who have decluttered and are really enthusiastic can throw some detailed cleaning in to the mix as well!

The idea is that we focus on short, ring-fenced, daily steps and routines that will help our homes run (more or less!) on "automatic pilot" allowing us to do far more interesting things instead!

This is a very long-running thread so we may appear cliquey but we really aren't! All newcomers, long-termers, lurkers and intermittent returnees not only welcome to join in but positively encouraged to do so!

Helpful pointers: No perfectionism allowed! If it took a while to create the current C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome) in your home, then it will probably take a while to reverse the situation (you can't clean clutter!). Small steps are the key! And you are never behind: just jump in where you are at!

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Good luck!

Blue i hope the neighbour is ok.
Fuzzpig well done on completing the big projects
Glad the actual being out at mass went better than the getting there Swan I often look at other drivers and wonder how the hell they got their license. But that is me getting old rather than them breaking the law.

Hello :) I'm not a local on this thread, but I do like to lurk now and again for inspiration. I was just wondering if anyone follows the Flylady 'Cruising Through The Holidays'? I won't mention the 'C' word, but it's a festive Fly mission per day in November in preparation for December, so everything is completed well ahead of schedule.

I have tried it in the past, it can work but like a lot of her stuff needs adapting to your family and your Christmas traditions. Not so great if you are in Europe and have different traditions. Also it includes thanks giving. I would have a proper look through it and see what you can tweak to fit. Hth

Sorry you're ill, SC. Please look after yourself and I hope you recover quickly.

Off to start Day 1 of Week 2. Am hoping boss is not too tricky today.

Oh the burning shame. I had to pop back and tell the only people who would understand.

A workman for next door popped in this morning to run an extension lead. He asked on Friday and I said it was ok so I knew he was coming. You can guess where this is going.....

The house is a bombsite. The roast dinner from yesterday hasn't been fully cleared up (dw ran but pots not washed) toys tipped, literally, all over the sitting room, all breakfast dishes cover the tiny work surfaces in the kitchen and the meat that didn't get eaten was still on the chopping board. (Obv that will be chucked now).

They guy saw all this and I'm so embarrassed. Fledglings please forgive me for I have sinned.

It is ook. NickNacks you are forgiven. I have just accidentally flashed the meter reader. We don't have a door bell atm (faulty and keeps ringing unless unplug but not high on the to do list). Didn't realise that he was stood inside the porch so came out on the landing to put my dressing gown on. Being 8:30am on a school holiday with no child and no work I had yet to be up and functioning. Where he stood outside he would have seen nothing, being stood in the porch he would have seen enough through the frosted glass. The complete lack of eye contact from him was very telling. Ah well. hth btw

Good morning all and sorry about last night; thank you very much Blue for posting the links in my absence (particularly good of you when you are in the middle of a house move! [thank] (How is it going by the way? Hope you are surviving what is always an intensely stressful time. Can you factor in a few 'get away' blocks of time for yourself if humanly poss?!!)

I'm feeling considerably better this morning thank heavens, if still havng episodes of perspiring a lot and feeling a bit out of it (think it must be my age although on hormone meds so that shouldn't really be happening) and lacking in energy. But stomach is ok again and once that is the case, one can cope with anything I think!

It was my own fault really, I shouldn't have travelled this w/e but dd and I were desperate to see a horse demonstration/master-class and the thought of an entire w/e here without dh seemed a bit 'meh', particularly with this lovely autumnal weather.

However, I do not recommend sitting in an indoor menage, in the cold, for three hours in the middle of rather bleak countryside, with the shivers, a 'turbulent' stomach, one Porter-loo and an increasingly anxious 12 year old - fascinating though it was!

Back in a bit when I have caught up with thread caught up with basic house chores and thanks again for good wishes!

Btw - prob timi again - but stomach prob is 'mechanical' not infectious, wouldn't have considered travelling if chance of making anyone else ill.

BTW - cackling at the talk of portals and fledglings exposing themselves and (totally normal!) chaos to passing workmen and meter readers!!

Great to see you Nicknacks I think that situation is something we can all identify with. Whenever the chap comes to the read the water meter here, he has to move about eight sacks of junk and climb over (literally) a stack of old cardboard boxes and cardboard that should have been torn up for recycling! And I'm sure workmen get used to seeing lots of different sights in the course of their working day!

Can'tsee meter reader should be giving you a discount

A warm welcome to Everydayaschoolday! We have tried the 'Cruising through the holidays' steps in the past. In fact, I think one kind fledgling who was leading the thread last Nov or Dec (this past year or year before) actually posted the steps alongside the ordinary baby-steps. As can'tsee said, some of them were quite relevant and helpful and others definitely were not as I recall. I think it did inspire quite a few people to create their own "countdown schedules" though and prompted us to get stuff done earlier than we would have ordinarily!

Good luck with your second week toffee

Yes, hope your neighbour is ok Blue! And wishing you the very best of luck for the move tomorrow!

Wow Can'tsee on completing 18 walls and doing all the prep so wonderfully well!

Sorry had to cackle again at beseeching post of Knitting's >"surely that is his job as a father to run through the autumn leaves throwing Frisbees???" Absolutely and "hear hear" I say!!

Have we 'spoken' about that Be-ro cookbook before? My mother had it! (I coloured in Katy Stewart's teeth with biro on our copy.) Fab recipes [heavily nostalgic emoticon] All of your cooking sounds delicious btw!

Fuzzpig congratulations on getting to the end of all of your deadline-work!

Greymalkin good to hear your dh back safely but sorry that he has such a busy work schedule. Me and dh are like ships in the night too, so can totally sympathise! Good that your dh will be having a holiday soon though!

Ta da:
dw
basked in the luxury of being able to stroke rabbits in the sunshine without fear of furry one appearing
isolated white wash

To do:
prep white wash, wash and hang up
vital gym kit ironing
make somethign healthy for supper

Have a "to do" list as long as your arm but taking it very steady today

Have a great start to the week eveyrone!

Sorry you were feeling rubbish SC and well done Blue for stepping into her shoes! I wouldn't have known how to find all that out

We actually had a productive day yesterday; 5 loads of washing done and I put most of our clothes - that had been sitting happily in a pile for a couple of weeks - away. DCs pretty much tidied their room and DH got a big bag of random crap out of the cupboard so we could sort through it (although there were so many tiny bits and pieces it was really difficult!). Today I finished the other work thing, got the tesco delivery in and the DCs put their clothes away. Now need to phone CAMHS as they haven't phoned back since I left the message and put the last few clothes of ours away as well as sort out where we will now store towels and dressing gowns (Mum got us hooks), DCs are in dire need of a long bath as am I - and really REALLY should start sorting the new craft drawers but it is a very daunting task!

Bastard top coat is going on unevenly and takes 5hrs to dry.

Before you suggest it, I can;t do any fly due to all the wet surfaces and the paint sheets and the dust must not be disturbed until the paint is dry. Wednesday my pretties, then i will set the flying monkies to the task. mwah ha ha

it is possible that all the paint and filler fumes have finally caught up with me and I have officially lost the plot, otoh I rather fancy watching the wizard of oz

Fuzzpig well done re: all the washing (I need to do the same, getting v behind again!) and on all the sorting and organising! Can you break down the craft drawers in to very small steps? Good luck with it!

Wafts fresh air towards Can'tsee through her portal [Don't pass the candles old chum for fear of exploding!] Enjoy your enforced break! You deserve it!!

Back to the laundry mountain ... .

Have achieved a little more today. Just little bits, but now I feel more free to do those things (there was something very psychologically 'heavy' about having those deadlines, IYSWIM? Even though I enjoyed them). Thanks for all the kind words about finishing them by the way :)

I still haven't

I did manage to speak to CAMHS... DD is being discharged already - really it wasn't so much "yay she's all better" but was more a case of, and I quote, "we can't justify keeping her file open" . It was a productive conversation and we have a few more ideas to try, but DH on hearing the news was particularly unhappy. I'm not sure... things ARE improving. And when I look back on how DD was when she was at school, I can see how she is a different person (which the MH worker agrees with - he HEs his own DCs so is very much in favour). We aren't there yet though, so I do feel like we've been pushed out the door before we're ready.

I'm rather pissed off also because DH has to work even more extra hours due to lack of other staff. FFS. He was supposed to finish at 2 today which makes a massive difference to me when I'm not feeling great.

Oh heck just remembered I'm supposed to phone my manager every Monday(ish) so may as well do that now. Not that there's any news to give her!

Glad you're feeling better now SC. It wasn't a problem to do the links as the movers have packed almost everything except the computer!

Had a nice day out with the boys today. We were going to go to the Sealife Centre, but they've packed the half price voucher...! So we went elsewhere, which actually worked out better because it was a perfect autumn day and much better to be outside. But they've packed the wire that connects the camera to the pooter, so I can't look at my photos properly!! Oh, the minor frustrations are so much better than major ones.

The move is tomorrow. Eek!

Haven't managed to get any news on our neighbour, which is slightly worrying. Hope to do so before we leave tomorrow.

Nice to see you, NickNacks and waves to everybody else.

fuzzpig this is completely normal for CAMHS, we have also had 'well he has had his 6 funded sessions so we can't see him anymore', 'He is no worse than when we last saw him so we won't be seeing him again' particularly annoying when ds wasn't any better and hadn't improved any. Just breathe, accept that camhs are chronically underfunded and thus fundamentally crap as a result so that whilst they are the only people who could do something they won't. Breathe and find another source of support. For me it was hitting the internet and researching support and therapy methods for specific issues. Hard work for me but it has made huge huge differences for ds.

Thank you, Cant I figured they meant they couldn't justify it in a budget sense. I'd expected it to some extent, as I've heard many such things from local friends. But also it is a stark contrast to the help I got from CAMHS in my teens. I saw a brilliant psychotherapist for about 4 years. Even when I turned 18 he refused to discharge me straight away as he didn't want me to have to start over again with somebody new. But then, my issues were much more acute I guess - self harm, OD etc.

Good luck tomorrow Blue!

I haven't really done anything more productive this afternoon, I am quietly sulking because DH should be here but will have to figure something out for their dinner. I have mostly been watching catch up tv on the laptop while they play! And eating chocolate. Obviously.

Tbh i just think that it is a symptom of cost cutting. More that you were seen in an age where everyone does not have to justify and stick to budgets in the same way. I have experienced this in other ways, eg being given strong anti pyschotics to treat acute pain rather than being referred to a physio who could fix the pain. No waiting list time, less cost, tick box bye. I guess it is what happens when you put business people in charge of the medical system and allow politicians to use it as a toy fr political gain.

< applauds cant >

heh, I just realised I didn't finish my sentence in one of my posts earlier. I meant that I still haven't started the craft drawers. I think that might happen tomorrow, although need to find out if we have a friend visiting in the morning.

DH just got home and is putting the food away that I couldn't manage (generally I do all the frozen/fridge stuff straight away and leave the rest for DH especially when it's heavy tins etc) - just realised that is something that the DCs could feasibly do instead, with me telling them where stuff goes. Although should really organise the cupboard first so it's easier for them!

And Cant sorry I just reread your post and realised you were referring to personal experience rather than just something you'd heard about IYSWIM. Sorry that happened, IKWYM about medication being thrown at a problem instead of actually treating it properly. Tick box indeed.

DH is now doing a quick dinner for the DCs, I couldn't face heading downstairs again so I just shoved them in an early bath instead.

I did phone work as well and found out I can go to fortnightly phone calls instead, if no changes in the meantime. I will now venture downstairs (have been hibernating on the bed most of the afternoon, the benefit of a tiny house is that I can do that while hearing them in the living room) and update the diary before I forget. And really need to wash my bras, and have a bath, and sort out the dressing gowns and towels before they get spread all over the place. I'll put a towel wash on after the bath too.

Think I need a list of what I've done as I'm feeling a bit meh and should actually appreciate that I've vaguely achieved something.

ta da
Put more clothes away and got DCs to do theirs
One clothes wash
Hung out wet clothes
Phoned CAMHS
Phoned manager
Finished mini work project and emailed relevant person about stuff

Evening all!

Very best of luck for tomorrow Blue!! Will be thinking of you!

Fuzzpig and Can't must be incredibly, incredibly frustrating dealing with such horrible bureaucracy and inefficacy. It would almost be better if they just said "sorry, we would like to help you, but we have no funding" rather than pissing you about, raising false expectations, sending you and your dc down the wrong pathways etc.

Managed to do a very minimal list today (but somehow even minimal list seemed rather challenging). Normally haul ironing board and hoovers up and down stairs without too much trouble, but today it was very hard work! No energy! Going to bed early. And dd is not being terribly helpful (although to be fair she made everyone a fantastic picnic lunch while we were away without any prompting at all, which was fab).

She should be emptying the dw at least x3 a week, feeding the rabbits, helping with recycling, doing a bit of ironing here and there. But she takes so long to do hwk, and looks so white and tired after school, I don't have the heart to ask her to do it. But then I think, at some point, she will have to start so it might as well be now! Bit of a dilemma this! Any advice anyone?

And not happy tonight to discover her brand new school sports leggings are covered in glue from the glue gun and bundled up in a sticky ball in the washing pile. [Harrumph]

Missing furry one but nonetheless don't have the energy to walk him so glad he is enjoying time in the countryside with his schnauzer buddies.

Have to be up at 6am tomorrow so going to hit the hay now! Big fluttering wing flaps to eveyrone!

Oops, nearly forgot links!

**

Baby-step no. 27 for Tues 27th Oct is here an excellent one about planning supper menus ahead of time.

We are in Zone 5 this week : The Living Room (October 25-31) here.

Declutter for 15 mins in Zone 5 if you want to and/or do a mission!

If you are at this stage, the detailed cleaning list for Zone 5 is here.

Tuesday's mission is here. Polish all light shades, light fixtures and lamps and dust shades etc. And check light-bulb supply.

(Imho light bulb buying is one of the most complicated and £££ tasks known to man nowadays; I spend hours in the ruddy DIY shop with ref numbers and sizes and then still bring home the wrong ones.)

Tuesday's daily focus is: planning menus, trips, med appts, hair appts, holidays etc.

The habit for October is: www.flylady.net/d/habits-of-the-month/october/ decluttering paper clutter!

A summary of the above (which should update itself daily) can be found here in the Flightplan: www.flylady.net/c/fp.php?tzm=-120.

How is the paper shredding going everyone? nowt happening here

Thank you can't and stand.